Inquiry begins into David Eastman's conviction for murder of Colin Winchester

David Eastman was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life behind bars.

ABC News

Was it the mafia? Or was it David Harold Eastman who shot one of Australia's top policemen in the driveway of his Canberra home 24 years ago?

Eastman is serving a life sentence for killing Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Colin Winchester in 1989.

An inquiry opening in Canberra today will take a fresh look at Eastman's conviction, as it trawls through mountains of evidence.

The board of inquiry is headed by former Northern Territory chief justice Brian Martin.

The investigation will cover 19 terms of reference, including Eastman's fitness to plead, some potential new evidence about the gun residue in his car, and the conduct of police and prosecutors in the case.

It is a story that has captured Canberra's attention for more than two decades.